10 of Canada's best (and weirdest) TV classics

English Canadian television has a long and robust history of shows that, if you tried to explain them to someone who had never heard of them before, would sound like absolute fever dreams. These shows are also, arguably, some of English-speaking Canada’s most beloved cultural treasures and important cultural signposts. In fact, there may even be a direct correlation between how beloved a show is and how strange it is.

This is not meant to be a complete or perfect list, but rather a snapshot of select Canadian shows that highlight the inexplicable magic of weird Canadian television. 

The Littlest Hobo (1963-65, 1979-1985)

A very smart German shepherd wanders from town to town, helping people and solving mysteries. It’s like the 1970s series The Incredible Hulk, but instead of a green Lou Ferrigno, it’s a dog. In at least one episode, the dog proves it can hold a gun in its mouth. 

The Raccoons (1985-1991)

A cartoon about three raccoons — Melissa, Ralph and Ralph’s roommate, Bert — who desire nothing more than to live in peace. They often run afoul of the evil capitalist aardvark, Cyril Sneer. The end credit theme, Run With Us, is the hardest end theme song in the western canon. 

Degrassi Junior High (1987-1989)

A show for teenagers about suicide, the HIV crisis, teen pregnancy and the band Zit Remedy. Degrassi has existed in many forms over many years, but the original cast will always be the perfect blend of beautiful oddballs. It often felt almost homemade, as if the show was made by someone you knew from down the street, which only helped cement its status as deeply Canadian. Degrassi is the rare piece of culture that crossed boundaries, becoming an example of weird Canadian ephemera beloved by American auteurs. Kevin Smith was such a big fan that he was eventually brought in to direct episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation. 

Lexx (1997-2002)

A late 90s sci-fi show with bad CGI, love slaves and sex robots. The show’s namesake, the Lexx, is a machine-insect hybrid spaceship. Against all odds, Lexx ran for four seasons. It is widely remembered by a very select group of diehard fans, who hold out hope that this beloved, weird show will one day be given its flowers as a kind of Canadian Dr. Who. 

The Odyssey (1992-1994)

A young boy tries to join a tree fort club, gets his telescope stolen, then falls and hits his head and goes into a coma. That’s Episode 1. From there, he enters a surreal otherworld, where adults don’t exist, feral children have organized themselves into gangs and Ryan Reynolds plays the leader of a teenage, SS-like military regime.

Today’s Special (1981-1987)

It’s a tale as old as time: Every night, at the department store where she works, Jodie carries a mannequin named Jeff upstairs, where he is brought to life by the combined magic of a mouse and a newsie cap. It’s an educational show that taught children about camping, balloons, alcoholism and death. One of the other characters is a security guard named Sam, who is somehow a puppet, despite also being a navy veteran. 

Murdoch Mysteries (2008-present)

There is no greater example of the beauty of weird Canadian television than Murdoch Mysteries, a show about a Catholic detective in late 1800s Toronto. Murdoch is the smartest man alive, and has invented everything from the fax machine to the internet. His house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, has a microwave room in order to cook potatoes. Daniel Maslany, Tatiana’s brother, plays a closeted gay Jewish cop, and eats every scene he is in. Throughout, the show comments on class, religious discrimination, racism, homophobia and more. If you are a Canadian actor, by law you have been asked to appear on this show. 

The Beachcombers (1972-1990)

A dramatic series about a Greek Canadian log salvager and his Indigenous partner trolling the Pacific Northwest coastline for errant logs in their boat, the Persephone. There’s a rival log salvager who is always trying to steal logs from them. The RCMP constable in town is named John Constable, and had a short-lived spinoff series in 1985 called Constable Constable. Just imagine it’s MASH, but instead of the Korean War, it’s logs and you get the idea. 

SCTV (1976-1984)

It’s easy to point to The Kids In The Hall or Baroness von Sketch Show as examples of Canada’s improv comedy bona fides, but SCTV is the point from which all points diverge. It featured an all-star lineup of Eugene Levy, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Robin Duke and more. The premise of SCTV, presented as a typical broadcast day of the fictional Second City TV station, introduced regular in-universe shows like The Days of The Week, Monster Chiller Horror Theatre and Great White North, which gave us legendary hosers Bob and Doug McKenzie. 

ReBoot (1994-2001)

A cyberpunk animated series created in the early days of the internet — and set inside of it — ReBoot is a beloved titan of weird Canadian animated history. Everything in ReBoot is a reference to the then-emerging digital landscape. Villains are named Megabyte and Hexadecimal, while the heroes are Dot Matrix, Enzo Matrix and Bob. Users load games into the Mainframe, turning the characters into NPCs who must battle the user. Created entirely with CGI that looks like 3D CAD drawings given life, ReBoot was a bold move forward for youth-oriented animated storytelling.